Hocking County zoning group outlines proposed short-term rental rules, emergency and enforcement measures

The meeting chair opened the May 29, 2025, Hocking County Zoning Commission meeting with an overview of a year-long public process and said the group is proposing “land use tools” short of full zoning to address growth around the county’s tourism areas. The chair said a consultant, American Structure Point, helped collect feedback from public meetings and a zoning questionnaire that drew “400 plus responses.”

Why it matters: commissioners and staff said short-term rentals and related safety and nuisance issues are driving rising demands on first responders and county services. The commission discussed rules intended to improve emergency response, clarify enforcement, and capture fair shares of cost increases through impact fees or other mechanisms.

The commission’s discussion focused on a package of measures the chair described as additional land-use tools rather than a full zoning regime. “We’re not proposing zoning per se. We’re proposing, land use tools, additional land use tools that we already have,” the chair said, adding the county prosecutor reviewed proposed concepts for compliance with Ohio planning law.

Key proposals and discussion points included:

- 24-hour local contact and emergency response: The commission said short-term rental permits should require a local 24-hour contact who can respond to calls from first responders and neighbors; members discussed a one-hour response…